Saving Mr. Banks

When P.L. Travers travels from London to Hollywood in 1961 to finally discuss Walt Disney's desire to bring her beloved character, Mary Poppins to the motion picture screen (a quest he began in the 1940s as a promise to his two daughters), Disney meets a prim, uncompromising sexagenarian not only suspect of the impresario's concept for the film, but a woman struggling with her own past. During her stay in California, Travers' reflects back on her difficult childhood in 1906 Australia.

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Saving mr Banks is on Today on T.v so i ddin't get a chance to watch it before its on t.v so i have to watch it later i barrowed this movie there was a lot of holds on this movie before not anymore i placed a hold on it

Interesting to see how the production of a move which many may take for granted as a saccharine novelty from the past like 'Mary Poppins' actually had a tumultuous production, not the least because of lack of initial sympathy the author had for her work being adapted as it was, for deeply private reasons. I liked Tom Hanks performance; he did good in showing the struggle Walt Disney had to make for P. L. Travers friendship.

I read the first four Mary Poppins books recently and am not really tempted to read the rest, but the 1964 Disney film is reasonably faithful to the first (and best) book. The aptly-named Saving Mr Banks provides some biographical insight that will likely be less interesting to a younger audience.

I did not know what this film was about, only that it had something to do with Mary Poppins. The story is about the author P.L. Travers and Walt Disney’s 20 year effort to get the story made into a film. Mrs. Travers (played by Emma Thompson) comes across as a grouchy, mean, grumpy old English lady who is not enchanted by Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks) and his money-making Disneyland. She flies to Los Angeles in 1961 to discuss the film rights of her book. Of course, underneath the children’s story are some personal anxiety issues of her own childhood. Her family moved to Australia, her father worked at a bank, he was an alcoholic, he becomes very ill and an Aunt comes to live with the family who is the basis of the Mary Poppins character. I was initially a bit confused since the story switches between Los Angeles and Australia, in different time eras but it does all come together in the end. Not a real upbeat, joyful story. Not recommended for young kids, but as an adult who loved the film as a child, I enjoyed the back story and, of course, was singing along with the songs. I have never read the book, but will read it now and will probably need to watch the original film again.

Disney does a psychodrama, and it works. Emma Thompson plays P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books, and she has daddy issues, which Walt Disney, in producing the 1964 blockbuster film, helps her sort out. Usually I don't like a lot of flashbacks in a movie, but since Colin Farrell plays the young Pamela's dissolute father, they are some of the best scenes of the film.

Quotes

Travers Goff (voiceover): "...Winds in the east... mist coming in... like something is brewing... about to begin... Can't put me finger... on what lies in store... but I feel what's to happen... all happened before..."

Much more from imdb-----Walt Disney: "No whimsy or sentiment!" says the woman who sends a flying nanny with a talking umbrella to save the children.
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P.L. Travers: You think Mary Poppins is saving the children, Mr. Disney?
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[Walt and the other filmmakers are stunned silent]
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P.L. Travers: Oh, dear!
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[Walks away]

From imbd: Walt Disney: George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that's what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.